Relatively unblemished in his 7-month Orioles tenure, MacPhail’s level of honesty is front and center tonight as word trickles out of Seattle that a deal involving Erik Bedard is near completion.

Centerfielder Adam Jones – long thought to be the “must-have” piece of the deal for the O’s – has told reporters, “I’ve been told to get to Baltimore for a physical.” Jones was removed from his winter league team in Venezuela on Sunday, a decent indication that something is in the works.

While Jones was telling people he was making a Monday trip to Baltimore for his physical, Andy MacPhail told members of the Baltimore media late Sunday night just the exact opposite. “We do not have an agreement with Seattle,” MacPhail said. He also added, “Adam Jones is not coming to Baltimore to take a physical.”

I tried to contact the Orioles tonight but my call was not returned (I know, I know…you’re shocked…well, that’s how they operate.)

I have been an advocate of MacPhail’s since his arrival in June and have talked and written about him in glowing terms over the last several months. But the news of the trade and his outright denial of the deal will certainly serve as a valid barometer of his level of trust (at least with the media) heading into the 2008 campaign.

Either MacPhail is lying…or Adam Jones is lying.

It can’t be any other way.

Jones says he’s coming to Baltimore in a trade and is arriving in town on Monday for a physical. MacPhail says that’s just not true.

I hope MacPhail’s NOT the one who’s lying.

Of course, if he’s been paying attention to things in Baltimore since December 31, he could make the deal and then simply say – ahem – “I changed my mind.”